Road games at Kentucky, Michigan and Grand Canyon University headline the first half of WKU men’s basketball’s 2024-25 season, as the team announced its non-conference schedule Monday.
“I think we wanted to challenge our group as well as we could,” Head Coach Hank Plona said. “When we started figuring out where we’re at and what we wanted to do, this team wants another chance to play the best. I guess we tried to create a schedule that would challenge us.”
Following WKU’s season opener against Wichita State at Diddle arena, the Hilltoppers will travel to Phoenix on Nov. 9 to face the Grand Canyon Lopes for the second game of the season. As a 12 seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament, the Lopes upset Saint Mary’s for its first tournament win in program history. GCU’s 2024-2025 squad returns four out of five starters from that game.
“We’re going to know something about us after that,” Plona said about the first two games. “I think it’s a good start to the season for this team… on the flight back from Arizona we’ll probably have a good idea if what we’re doing is good enough.”
Later in November, WKU will travel to Lexington to face the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena. Kentucky and first year head coach Mark Pope host an almost entirely new squad, returning only two players from last year’s UK team that was upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. WKU last played at Kentucky in 2021, losing to the Wildcats 95-60.
“I thought it was a great opportunity… .Obviously the game at Rupp will be cool. You want to challenge yourself against the absolute best, go play at Kentucky, ” Plona said. “You only learn who you are when you play games like that.”
WKU’s last game of the non-conference slate, Dec. 29, will be on the road at the University of Michigan. Like WKU, Michigan has a new head coach for the upcoming season in former FAU head coach Dusty May. While at FAU, May went 5-2 against the Hilltoppers.
As for home games, WKU will be rekindling a spirited rivalry when Marshall visits Diddle Arena, Nov. 30. Marshall and WKU last met on March 5, 2022, with the Hilltoppers defeating the Thundering Herd 78-69. Another WKU rival, Murray State, will make their way to Diddle Arena on Dec. 14.
Other games on WKU’s non-conference schedule include;
- Nov. 12 vs. Campbellsville
- Nov. 17 vs. Lipscomb
- Nov. 20 vs. Jackson State
- Dec. 7 at Evansville
- Dec. 10 vs. Tennessee State
- Dec. 17 vs. Seattle
- Dec. 21 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan
